In the early morning hours of February 22, 2026, a Lakeland, Florida man, Deandre Montgomery Sr., age 38, was fatally shot outside a local nightclub. The incident occurred shortly after 2:00 a.m. as patrons were leaving the Jade Fox Lounge on Lakeland Highlands Road. Responding to the sound of multiple gunshots, police officers who were patrolling the area found Montgomery on the ground near his silver Dodge pickup truck with several gunshot wounds.
Emergency services transported him to Lakeland Regional Health, where he succumbed to his injuries despite efforts to save his life.
Investigators quickly determined the shooting was not a random act of violence, as evidence and witness statements suggested that the victim and the assailant knew each other. In fact, friends indicated that Deandre Montgomery Sr. and the man authorities would soon identify as the suspect had a long-standing relationship, having known one another since they were teenagers. In the time leading up to the fatal encounter, it was reported that Montgomery had been supportive of the suspect, even providing him with a place to stay and occasional work after a recent release from jail.
Within a couple of days, the Lakeland Police Department issued an arrest warrant for 34-year-old Janard Dominic Childs of Lakeland, in connection with the shooting. The warrant charges Childs with second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and tampering with physical evidence. According to authorities, the incident began with a verbal altercation initiated by Childs, which then escalated into a physical fight. During the confrontation, Childs allegedly produced a handgun and shot Montgomery multiple times before fleeing the scene as a passenger in a white Lincoln SUV that was waiting nearby. As of late February 2026, law enforcement was still actively searching for Janard Dominic Childs.
